Hated Secret Admirer Read online

  "That only proves is PMS," Annie said, making the Blushing Couple muffle their laughter.

  Blushing Couple is what I call Fernando and Andressa sometimes. They're so shy that they're still embarrassed to ask each other out. I think everyone knows, since Fernando went redder than my hair just from bringing Andressa toast.

  "I'm sure it's not PMS," Lucas said, calming me down.

  You see why I love Lucas? Isn't he a total cutie? Okay! Just kind of cute since he did call me bony yesterday!

  We're not late for first class though it's close, except for Vitor, who arrived only after the teacher had said good morning.

  "I brought your book, Paulie," he said, handing me my precious.

  "Where did you find it?" I asked, hugging my book close.

  I never want to be parted from it.

  "Found? It was lost?" Vitor asked, confused, while we walked to the next class.

  "Of course it was lost! It was kidnapped earlier today," I answered trying uselessly to explain what happened.

  "Kidnapped? And did you pay the ransom?" Vitor asked, laughing at me.

  "Lucas, he's laughing at me!" I complained, pouting and pointing to Vitor.

  "Vitor, don't do that!" Lucas asked, patiently.

  "Lucas, she's pointing at me!" Vitor complained.

  "Paula, it's bad manners to point at people," he scolded me.

  "Children, let's stop the fighting and get to class? Lucas, you have to set limits," Annie asked, bossily.

  "I'm trying, but they're troublemakers!" The annoying-one said.

  We obviously started laughing at Lucas's sullen face.

  "What did you think of the book, Vitor?" I asked while class didn't start.

  "Honestly?" He asked, fearful.

  I bet he didn't like it! Vitor never likes anything cool, just soccer, girls, beer... Nothing I like!

  "Of course honestly," I answered firmly.

  "It's kind of cool," he answered, shrugging.

  How can a person like Vitor drop such a bomb and simply shrug his shoulders like it's nothing short of incredible?

  Fine, I'm shocked that Vitor said the book "it's kind of cool". I joked, but I never thought he'd actually like it. After all, this is Vitor, not Fernando.

  "It's kind of cool?" Lucas asked surprised.

  "You know how it is...it's easy to read. It's not something that I would buy to read, but it's not that bad...actually there are some things that are pretty cool," he answered flippantly.

  "So it's not just a book that makes girls think stuff?" Lucas asked, still dumbfounded.

  "No. Of course it gives girls absurd ideas. Where have you seen a guy listening to a girl ask for a kiss and he's just there, blank?" Vitor asked bitterly.

  "Blank?" I asked not understanding.

  "You know...like there’s nothing inside his head, like a blank wall, just blank..." Lucas answered flippantly.

  Where the hell do they get this stuff from? I honestly don't know where these crazy guys find these slang or whatever they call those thing that for me aren't a part of the dictionary.

  "But if it does fill a girl's head with ideas, how could you have liked it?" Lucas asked.

  "It's true that some of the ideas are useless, which is probably why girls like Paulie wait their whole live for Prince Charming—" I interrupted him.

  "I'm not waiting for Prince Charming," I complained, interrupting him, putting my hands on my waist, my best angry look on my face.

  "Sorry, you've found him already, but you haven't realized it yet" Vitor answered, rolling his eyes.

  Who gave him the right to roll his eyes like that? That a me thing! I have rights over eye-rolling.

  "Red, come back from Paula's world and return to reality, please!" Vitor asked impatiently, pulling me from my thoughts.

  I don't know why Vitor has decided I live in a parallel world. I don't know if any of you ever seen Bobby's World, but ever since Vitor watched it he says I live in Paula's world. Yeah, I know...he simply doesn't get how normal people think.

  "First, I'm not out hunting Prince Charming; second, no I haven't," I answered, annoyed.

  "You haven't? What's Lucas then? The villain that pretends to be the good guy to get the damsel in distress?" Vitor asked.

  "I think you've been watching too many movies," Lucas said.

  I so have to agree. I'm not the one that lives in Paula's world. Vitor is the one who lives in a parallel world. Poor thing!

  "Focus, Vitor, we were talking about the book," I said, trying to get friend back on track.

  "So...despite all of that, it's actually pretty useful and funny."

  "What do you mean 'useful'?" I asked, unsure on where he's going with this.

  "Useful...you know...it has some nice tips, like when they lock the couple in the room so they can talk it out, or when they made the will-they-won't-they couple sleep in the same room for a few days. We can do that with Andressa and Fernando, maybe it will work!" He suggested excitedly.

  "It's not a bad idea," Lucas remarked, thoughtful.

  "Did the book teach you that men can say the l-word?" I asked, curious.

  "Where are you going with this?" He asked, arching his eyebrow.

  "He really doesn't know anything, huh?" I asked Lucas, who just laughed.

  "Why would a normal person say something like that to someone? He asked stupidly. Yes, Vitor is usually a moron, but he was being slower than usual.

  "Why don't we talk about this later?" Lucas asked.

  He loves to break up my fights with Vitor. I know I'd have won this one, because Vitor doesn't make any sense and my logic is perfect, but Lucas likes to help his friends in danger, you know how it is...he has a hero complex.

  "Are you going to keep talking or start paying attention to my class?" The teacher asked, ill-tempered.

  "How can he be in such a crappy mood so early?" Vitor asked while we hurried inside the classroom and ran to the closest chairs.

  He's always in a bad mood, morning, afternoon, and night. I think he's just bitter.

  The class went by quickly. I sat with the boys and I have to say that I don't remember a word of what the teacher said, but I'll never forget Vitor making fun of his watch.

  "What were you guys talking about before second class?" Andressa asked when we sat for lunch.

  "We were trying to bring Paula back from Paula's world," Vitor said, shrugging.

  "Actually we were trying to make Vitor understand that admitting to love someone is not a sin, it's actually a beautiful thing," I answered.

  "You can't talk about Vitor if you have the same problem as him, Paula," Andressa said.

  "What do you mean, 'the same problem'? I tell people I love them all the time," I said defensively.

  "Don't even try, Paulie. Your family doesn't count," Andressa answered, rolling her eyes.

  How many time do I have to say they can't keep rolling their eyes like that? Only I can do that!

  "Actually, we were talking about Paula's book," Lucas said, interrupting me.

  "You found it?" Andressa asked excitedly.

  "It was with Vitor all the time," I answered, dejected.

  "And what was Vitor doing with your book?" Fernando asked, confused.

  "He didn't give me the book back last night and thought it was cool to hold on to it until I went in a panic searching for it," I answered grumpily.

  "It's not my fault you panic so easily," he answered laughing.

  And it's not my fault that I forgot the book was with him.

  "So, did Vitor like the book?" Andressa asked curiously.

  "Did he even read the book?" Fernando joked, laughing.

  "Of course I did. I said I'd read it," Vitor complained.

  "You never know..." Fernando joked.

  "So, did you like it or not?" Andressa asked even more curious.

  During the rest of lunch Vitor related the story in my cute book and adding commentary. I think he really liked the book.

  We we
re going to the second to last class of the day when guess what? History class. Seriously! That's the worst class in the whole school. I felt sleepy just walking into the room. Yeah... I fell asleep, but you can't blame me, it's an awful class!

  At least, I wasn't the only one to fall asleep!

  Chapter 2: Roses

  It wasn't that bad...dreaming I was marrying Vitor is not as traumatic as it seems at first.

  Who am I trying to fool? Marry Vitor? Not even if he was the last man on Earth... Fine, I'm exaggerating, if he really was the last man on Earth then I'd marry him, he's not that bad.

  In my dream Vitor wasn't waiting for me at the altar, like in every normal wedding. It would've been too normal! I was the one that was waiting at the altar and he walked into the church dancing and blowing kisses to all the women watching. I think that if it hadn't been a dream I would've run away with the groomsmen, in this case Lucas and Fernando.

  Who, in their right mind, would marry Vitor?

  It's just that...imagine a wedding between us: besides totally bizarre and weird, it would be dangerous. Imagine me and Paula's world together with Victor's crazy and infallible plans. Sometimes Vitor reminds me of Jimmy Five from Monica's Gang. He really does have lots of crazy, infallible plans that almost never work out. At least not the way he wants them to.

  "The flight for Paula's world is leaving from the History classroom. Please begin boarding," I heard Vitor saying.

  "I was not in Paula's world," I complained.

  How many times do I have to tell him there is no such thing as Paula's world?

  "Did I miss something?" Lucas asked looking disheveled.

  Poor Lucas, every time he falls asleep during class he wakes up with a huge red blotch on his face. Did his mom never teach him that when you fall asleep at your desk you have to check if the position you're in will horribly mark you face, a dead giveaway that you were sleeping?

  "You missed Paula drooling on the table," Andressa answered.

  "I was not drooling!" I defended myself.

  "Sorry! You were letting saliva leave your mouth to the table," she laughed.

  "Very funny, Andressa," I said frowning, even more embarrassed since the boys heard her and started laughing.

  "If you want, I'm sure Luks would be happy to exchange saliva with you, Paula," Vitor said, winking at me and getting a tap on the head from Lucas.

  Obviously, I blushed. Who wouldn't after a comment like that? And, just so you know, Vitor loves making indiscreet comment like that.

  "Don't listen to him, Paula. He's just jealous because he's doesn't swap saliva with anyone," Lucas smiled and hugged me.

  "Me? Are we talking about the same person? I'm not the one that took a chastity vow!" Vitor said viciously.

  "Chastity vow?" Andressa asked.

  "Your dear friend Luks took one until a certain girl decides to return his feelings," Fernando answered.

  "That's not exactly right," Lucas frowned.

  Great! Now we're both annoyed! Are we or are we not the perfect couple?

  "Vitor is talking too much nonsense. I agree that Lucas has to wait for the right person," Fernando said.

  "I like to have fun with the wrong people," Vitor said.

  "Who doesn't?" Andressa asked, laughing.

  "Carpe Diem, Lucas. How will you find the right person if you don't look for her?" Andressa asked.

  "Will you stop annoying my friend? He can get whoever he wants with that smile. He doesn't need to go around hooking up with randoms," I defended my friend.

  Lucas is gorgeous. He doesn't need to hook up with girls for them to fall for him. I don't think he even knows how charming he is.

  "Are you one of those girls?" Andressa asked.

  "Why does it always come back to me?" I asked angrily.

  It's not a complex, but why do they always pick on me? We could be talking about any random thing and the conversation will always, I repeat, always come back to my peaceful life.

  "Because annoying you is our favorite hobby," Vitor laughed.

  I'll have to accept that. After all, there's no other explanation.

  "Did someone understand anything from that class?" Andressa asked, thoughtful.

  "When did anyone ever understand anything in that crappy class?" I asked.

  "At one point I thought I’d understood one thing," Fernando answered.

  "And...?" Lucas asked curiously.

  "I thought I had understood, but I hadn't," Fernando shrugged.

  "I really don't understand why we're still taking that class. Couldn't we just quit?" Vitor asked, dejected.

  "Unfortunately, it's not a class we can quit!" I answered, dispirited.

  "What's the next class?" Andressa asked, distracted.

  "Portuguese, and then we're free for today," Lucas smiled.

  "At least it's a good class," Fernando said, perking up a little.

  The class wasn't as good as we thought. We just read about boring stuff, nothing practical. I think the teacher didn't feel like teaching today, and I didn't feel like being in class.

  What? Just because people think I'm studious nerd, and all the other not-so-nice adjectives, it doesn't mean that I like every class all the time, and it specially doesn't mean that sometimes I don't wish to be somewhere else.

  "At least tomorrow is Friday," Andressa said cheerfully.

  "I love Fridays!" Lucas said excitedly.

  "Who doesn't?" Fernando asked.

  "We could throw a party!" Vitor said, excited.

  "Party? Celebrating what?" I asked, not understanding the need for a party.

  "The fact that it's Friday. Is there any day better then Friday?" he asked, fired up.

  "Saturday!" I answered, shrugging.

  "Ignore the garden dwarf," he said, and I had the slight impression he meant me, since he pointed at me while saying 'garden dwarf'. "Are we or are we not throwing a party?"

  "I, as a monitor, unfortunately can't be privy to this information or I'll be forced to turn you in," Lucas said, looking evil.

  I love it when Lucas is evil with Vitor, it makes me feel so good... At least I'm not the only in this group of crazies to be made fun of.

  "Then you're not invited to my party," Vitor shot back, shrugging. "But I'm taking Red as my date!" He said, pulling me in for a hug.

  "As if I'd go with you," I answered, still annoyed about the 'garden dwarf' commentary.

  "Who are you going with then? Luks isn't going," Vitor said.

  "I'll go with Fernando!" I shrugged.

  "No way, I'm going with Fe," Andressa said forcefully.

  "Why are you fighting about this when there's not going to be a party?" Lucas asked.

  Honestly, it's fun to fight with Andressa, specially annoying her about Fernando.

  "There's no need to be jealous, Lu. I'll go with you," I answered, hugging him.

  "I would love that, but only if it was a private party, since we're not throwing a normal one," he complained.

  "And may I ask why you're so against the idea pf a party?" Andressa asked Lucas.

  Everyone says women are hard to understand, but I'm here to say that's a lie. Men are the ones that are hard to understand. Lucas, for example, it's practically impossible to guess what he's thinking. Don't get me started on Vitor since he only has insane ideas.

  "Let's go eat? All this arguing made me hungry," Andressa said.

  "But it's still ten minutes for lunch," Fernando said, thoughtful.

  "But when we get there, it will be time," she answered, shrugging.

  Now that she brought it up, I'm starving. I think arguing with friends makes one hungry.

  I wonder if we asked the staff to put lunch out early they would? I know the headmaster wouldn't mind, since he's always the first to arrive for lunch.

  "You still haven't told me why we can't throw a party!" Vitor turned to Lucas as soon as we sat down to eat.

  "I don't think a party tomorrow would be cool. We have tons of papers to
hand in this week, which would be distracting," Lucas answered, making us look at him incomprehensibly.

  "Who are you and what have you done with Lucas?" Andressa asked. "I don't know if I should blame Fernando or Paula," she said, thoughtful. "Probably both."

  "I'm so proud of you!" I said, hugging him with a silly smile on my face.

  "What wouldn't I do for my angel?" Lucas asked smiling.

  "You can't be serious. You're choosing studying over partying?" Vitor asked, desperate.

  "Have you started on the papers, at least?" Lucas asked.

  "Of course not. But what does that have to do with anything? I can just copy from Fernando or Paula later. And you can do the same."

  "I'm not letting you copy off of my work anymore, Vitor. You already copied the Geography paper last week." I answered.

  "I have Fernando for these situations," Vitor said, sticking his tongue out at me.

  "No, you don't. I let you cheat off Geopolitics yesterday, I'm not letting you do it again." Fernando answered cruelly.

  "I think Vitor is in trouble," Andressa singsonged, laughing.

  "Well, there goes my party!" He said grumpily.

  "We can just get together later," Andressa suggested.

  "But we do that every night," Vitor complained.

  "Actually, not every night. There are nights when Lucas and I have monitor stuff to do," I reminded him.

  "Monitor stuff. I hate it when you talk like that," Andressa said, screwing up her face.

  "They can't tell us what they talk about during monitor meetings. That would be wrong!" Fernando said.

  "Just because we'd have precious information in our hands? You make it sound as if we'd do something nefarious with it," Vitor said.

  "Then why do you want the info?" Lucas asked suspiciously.

  "Because we're friends and I like knowing everything that happens with you. Besides, if something happens, I can help."

  "Fernando could help. You would just make up some kind of insane plan that would never work," Lucas answered nastily.

  Again, I repeat: I love it when Lucas is mean to Vitor.

  "My plans always work out, one way or another," Vitor said, cocky.

  I was thinking of one day setting up a contest to find out who really has the biggest ego, Vitor or Lucas. I keep ping-ponging between them. How does one measure such a thing? Maybe with compliments throughout the day? Or I don't know... Anonymous letters? Interviewing everyone at the school?